Wednesday, February 25, 2015

I realize that I have completely neglected my blog in 2014, so I am going to post a few recent works over the next few weeks. Here is one that I had posted some photos of earlier on in various stages of completion. This one sold pretty soon after going to ArtSource Fine Art in Raleigh, NC. I liked the softness of the nest on the left. In person, this nest had a sort of soft squishy quality to it. I hope that I was able to capture the cozy nature of this nest - and I liked adding in the smaller, spikier nest on the right! They're different in size, but I think they fit well together - sometimes opposites attract, right?

Friday, February 13, 2015

This is another of the five paintings that I have in Grovewood Gallery's "Birds & Bees" exhibition in Asheville, NC. The show opens February 14, and continues through May 10. I figured that a nest certainly fits into the birds theme, and this one was a pleasure to paint. I liked working on the individual twigs and bits of pinestraw in the nest, and I also really enjoyed working on the colors of the background of the painting.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

I was recently invited to participate in a group show at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina, titled "Birds & Bees." The show opens 2-14-15 (Valentine's Day). In keeping with the theme, here are two paintings that I have sent to be a part of the show -

"Contemplation: Brown Thrasher"

oil on canvas, 11"x14"

This (above) is one of my favorite birds that I frequently see around Western North Carolina. The Brown Thrasher has such personality and I LOVE the speckled breast. You can find them scratching around on the ground a lot of times in the underbrush. They have striking yellow eyes, also.

"Contemplation: Rose Breasted Trio"

oil on canvas, 11"x14

I had been paying attention to the birds in my neighborhood for quite a while before I ever saw one of these beautiful Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. The three featured in this painting are males. The first time I saw one, I remember being struck by his milky beige beak, which contrasted the black, red, and white in a very pleasing way (in my opinion!).